First Team

Robbie's perfect ten

It was a perfect ten for Robbie Neilson’s Hearts team today, but despite the relentless battering the Jambos handed out to Cowdenbeath, the head coach insisted he was already focused on the next game.

In an astonishing 90 minutes, the Championship league leaders dished out a footballing lesson, with five goals in each half, including a three-minute-and-thirty-four-second hat-trick from Genero Zeefuik, and two wonder goals from Sam Nicholson and Alim Ozturk.

Morgaro Gomis notched his first Hearts goal with a Panenka penalty, Jamie Walker continued his good run of form with his ninth of the season and Osman Sow came off the bench to notch his first goals since October to complete a famous 10-0 triumph.

After the match, Robbie admitted he didn’t initially see the game panning out in the manner it eventually did, after a stuffy opening to the game.

“We had to be patient today,” said Robbie. “It was a tight opening 25 minutes, but getting three goals in three or four minutes, and a red card on top totally changes the game.

“It puts Cowdenbeath in a difficult situation, because they don’t know if they should stick or twist, plus on top of that, we had a really good day.”

It’s fairly common in football for teams to head in at half-time leading comfortably, only for casualness and complacency to arrive with the three points secured.

Robbie, however, pressed home to his squad that this was a chance for the team to make history and he was delighted that they listened, earning the Jambos their biggest ever league win.

“I spoke to the players at half time and told them to keep going, try to score more,” he continued. “It doesn’t always happen. Players’ natural instincts can be to relax.

“They might have taken their foot off the gas, but being able to bring on three forwards in Sow, El Hassnaoui and Keatings gave the place a lift, as they all wanted to score.

“I was especially pleased for Osman to get back among the goals, he’s had a difficult time with injury but he’ll be a vital player for us in the run-in.”

Although thrilled with the performance and victory, the head coach was taking nothing for granted and keeping his - and his players’ - feet firmly on the ground.

“It might be the club’s biggest league win, but that’s just a record for another team to try and beat now. It does wonders for our confidence and the goal tally, but it’s three points, it’s done, we’re focusing on Dumbarton.

“I’ve never been involved in a result like that in my entire career. It’s a great performance but the win at Queen of the South was a better performance, for me.

"It was more important. If we don’t score 11 against Dumbarton in a fortnight, people will start to say we’re off our game again, so we’ll try and win that one as well.”